*The other day I wandered into the electronics section of a department store and found several people gazing at a screen full of Michael Jackson's iconic "Motown 25" "Billie Jean" performance in HD and whatever else TVs are supposed to do today.

An eager young salesman sauntered over and made his pitch. "To see that any clearer," he quipped with the authoritative smarm of a merchant hawking snake oil, "you'd have to have BEEN there." He followed that with a wicked snicker, as if being there was an impossibility.

I chose not to ruin my man's pitch by telling him that indeed I was there, but I was.

On the evening of March 25, 1983, I drove to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in an economy car and an ill-fitting tux, both rented, for the taping of NBC's Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. What the tape of Jackson's performance (lip-synched, which is ironic considering his prowess at singing live while dancing) fails to accurately capture is just what was going on the audience: Sheer bedlam.

What seems routine now, was spellbinding then; we'd never seen this Michael Jackson. Even his brothers, after they'd performed a reunion medley with him, were seeing it for the first time from the wings. Michael, goes the story, put his act together the day before.

If you were a Jackson fan, you were glad he was back. If you were a Jackson fan and Black, you were awash in a wave of cultural pride that transcended mere pop music to fasten itself onto American history outright.
To be sure, the five minutes Jackson was onstage alone somehow elevated the whole race--certainly the Pasadena Civic, where, after Jackson left the stage, the show had to be halted so that entire production and building could regain its composure; so that men in the audience could straighten their ties and women could adjust their wigs.

It was as if Jackson had dropped a bomb on the place, walked away and left us there to negotiate the soulful fallout. "Ladies and gentlemen," pleaded a stern, amplified male voice, "please take your seats, we have more show to be taped. PLEASE…." Folk dabbed water from their eyes, hugged one another and high-fived strangers. Performance? We'd just witnessed a coronation. Soon, order prevailed. We politely watched the rest of the show, our collective consciousness stuck on Jackson.

Michael has said that, initially, after leaving the stage, he was disappointed with his performance. His plan, when he went up on his toes, was to simply stay there, suspended infinitely. Just as well that he didn't; the house could not have handled it. As it was, they went nuts when he showed up at the after party, held at an indoor shopping mall across the street that Motown shut down and converted into a massive disco.

As his security team wedged him through the crush of excited well-wishers, Tops, Tempts, Supremes and others pushed their way toward Jackson as if they themselves weren't legends, as if they hadn't made music that influenced and inspired this man. Chaos ensued. It was all Jackson's bodyguards could do to turn him around and push him back out to his limo out front.

Those of us lucky enough to attend the taping had to wait weeks for the show to air. Would Jackson's performance be all that we'd raved to anyone who'd listen? Yes, even to the Jacksons. Rebbie Jackson told me when the show aired, they, like other viewers across America, taped it off the TV. The next day, friends, entertainers and assorted dignitaries, acknowledging that the universe had indeed tilted, phoned, sent flowers and wired kudos. "People came by Hayvenhurst (the Jackson home in Encino) all day long," she said. "It was as if someone got married or brought a baby home from the hospital. We played that tape over and over all day until it broke."

And the day after "Motown 25" aired, all retail hell broke loose. At the height of its phenomenal sales history, the album was nationally selling half a million copies a week. With more than one million copies sold in Los Angeles alone, "Thriller" demanded its own zip code. Years later, Quincy Jones confided to me that at some point it all began to frighten him.

"First I prayed it would sell, and then I wanted it to STOP selling," he said. "It was getting too big. I was afraid it would eclipse my entire career and be the only thing people remembered." Because of this, Jones said he suffered what amounted to a minor nervous breakdown, leaving Jackson and engineer Bruce Swedien to begin "Bad" while he recovered in the tropics. No disrespect Q, but I'd like a shot at that kind of breakdown.

It's been twenty-five years since "Thriller" was released, on December 1, 1982. With 104 million copies sold worldwide and counting, it is, of course, the biggest selling recording of all time. I wish Jackson had made better, more musically adventurous recordings post "Thriller," but it doesn't matter now.

Today, the music industry today exists in two historical periods--before "Thriller" and after it. With "Thriller," Michael Jackson changed the game. Considering how indispensable hip hop and likewise themed programming is to MTV and its subsidiaries today, it's hard to imagine that before "Thriller," the music channel refused to play the videos of black artists, including "Billie Jean." It relented only after Jackson's label, CBS Records (now Sony) threatened to pull the clips of its white acts if "Billie Jean" wasn't given a shot. That Jackson would go on to redefine the music video medium altogether was sweet redress.

People talk about Michael Jackson making a comeback. Come back and do what--levitate? Comebacks are for mortals. You don't comeback after being Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson just is. He is his own global culture, his own musical manifestation. Come back and do what? He's done it all. The Michael Jackson of "Thriller" is forever etched in time, for all time. Now, he's just Michael Jackson.

Besides, Michael never left. He simply morphed into his own genre, as evidenced by the images a kid flicked through on another space age looking TV in the electronic section. On one channel there was Usher; on another, Chris Brown; on yet another, Justin Timberlake and look, there's the omnipresent Britney. None of them are half as thrilling as MJ, though they all look good in HD.

Steven Ivory's book, FOOL IN LOVE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) is in stores now or at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/)) Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM (http://www.eurweb.com/story/mailtSTEVRIVORY@AOL.COM) or MYfeedback@eurweb.com (http://www.eurweb.com/story/mailtMYfeedback@eurweb.com)

athina_livadi

04-12-2007, 12:36 PM

Incredible article thank you!

eternitys_child

04-12-2007, 12:38 PM

Wonderful read to wake up to. Very informative as well. A lot of thing in it I never heard or read before like Quincy leaving to recover. Thank you.

neoMJ

04-12-2007, 01:43 PM

Please don't forget to send your comments about the article:

Respond to him via stevrivory@aol.com or MYfeedback@eurweb.com

It's important to acknowledge such beautiful articles.

Datsymay

04-12-2007, 01:59 PM

Wonderful read to wake up to. Very informative as well. A lot of thing in it I never heard or read before like Quincy leaving to recover. Thank you.
Isn't that the truth, recovering from a nervous breakdown heh, and he wasn't even the performer. No wonder he has been trying to play down thriller and MJ ever since. They need to post this article in the Daily Telegraph to counteract the evil article that that idiot wrote. i bet he was never there.
Go Michael.:D

raingirl

04-12-2007, 02:18 PM

People talk about Michael Jackson making a comeback. Come back and do what--levitate? Comebacks are for mortals. You don't comeback after being Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson just is. He is his own global culture, his own musical manifestation. Come back and do what? He's done it all. The Michael Jackson of "Thriller" is forever etched in time, for all time. Now, he's just Michael Jackson.
I loved this. :p

L.J

04-12-2007, 02:33 PM

Wooo that article rocks!!!

^ I love that bit too raingirl!

annnd this bit

Today, the music industry today exists in two historical periods--before "Thriller" and after it. With "Thriller," Michael Jackson changed the game. Considering how indispensable hip hop and likewise themed programming is to MTV and its subsidiaries today, it's hard to imagine that before "Thriller," the music channel refused to play the videos of black artists, including "Billie Jean." It relented only after Jackson's label, CBS Records (now Sony) threatened to pull the clips of its white acts if "Billie Jean" wasn't given a shot. That Jackson would go on to redefine the music video medium altogether was sweet redress.

very very sweet! imo :D

Datsymay

04-12-2007, 03:09 PM

Wooo that article rocks!!!

^ I love that bit too raingirl!

annnd this bit

very very sweet! imo :D
This should be posted on all fansites and all over the internet. it is good news.:D

mkgenie

04-12-2007, 03:39 PM

great read! thanks!!

whitesocksdancer

04-12-2007, 03:40 PM

That was great! Thank you

blacknimproud

04-12-2007, 03:41 PM

I agree with that writer. Every word should be put in stone. :D Oh heck yeah! The king is here to stay!

mello1

04-12-2007, 04:18 PM

Please don't forget to send your comments about the article:

Respond to him via stevrivory@aol.com or MYfeedback@eurweb.com

It's important to acknowledge such beautiful articles.

Exactly! This is the exactly the kind of article we want to see and read. Pls flood Mr. Ivory with THANK YOUS!!!! This is a GREAT piece of work.:D

mello1

04-12-2007, 04:20 PM

The only part where I would disagree is with his statement that post Thriller work wasn't up to par. It was indeed better. Dangerous, IMO, was MJ's best post-Thriller work.

mello1

04-12-2007, 04:42 PM

I wanted to also add that I LOVED that article. It brought back a ton of memories. I could only imagine what it must have been like to be in the audience that night, watching it live for the first time. When I saw it on television, all I could say is that MJ blew the roof off the place that night. When they panned the audience, they were going MAD, and these were mostly Black folk here. He had elevated his performance to that of a religious experience. It was that amazing....

DirrtyDiana69

04-12-2007, 05:03 PM

That HAS to be one of the best articles on Michael that I have ever read. I'm going to e-mail him right now and tell him how much I enjoyed reading it and how nice it was to read a positive article about Michel for a change. Thx for posting!

motown lady

04-12-2007, 05:11 PM

That HAS to be one of the best articles on Michael that I have ever read. I'm going to e-mail him right now and tell him how much I enjoyed reading it and how nice it was to read a positive article about Michel for a change. Thx for posting!

Yes!!

Great article & a fantastic new site!

thank U

KOPV

04-12-2007, 06:30 PM

thanks.. ur right, it's great

andythemisfit

04-12-2007, 06:41 PM

Wonderful article! :clap:

Rasta Pasta

04-12-2007, 06:52 PM

Hi guys, I sent an email thanking Mr Ivory.. and as usual.. I always try to throw in some facts about MJ.. so I sent him links to his ownership of the catalogs.. both Sony/atv and Mijac.... here is Mr. Ivory's response to me:

Hello there,

Thank you so much for reading and then taking the time to respond. I am a long time MJ fan. Not a blind worshipper, but I certainly believe in acknowledging the brilliance over the years.

Thank you as well for the links to the catalogues. I've known the family for years and thus am acquainted with MJ's holdings song-wise. However, it is always interesting to see just how varied and vast the titles are. Unquestionably one of the smartest things the guy ever did.

Keep in touch,

Steven Ivory
Los Angeles

MJ'sOzfan

04-12-2007, 08:07 PM

What a wonderful read.
And---what a pity this won't be seen world-wide---apart from here, the MJ Global Community.
Dawn

blacknimproud

04-12-2007, 08:23 PM

I even like his response too, just as much. :D

sugababe

04-12-2007, 08:52 PM

I didn't see this posted on the board; I just posted it in the news thread. This article really takes me back . . . I remember calling my friend the next day asking if she'd watched the special...this is all people were talking about.

Also, I believe Q was also breaking up with his wife when he had the breakdown; it was like a double whammy. Maybe that's why Mike decided not to use him on other albums, he didn't want Q to have a heart attack.

Just LOVE the article; like reading what happened after the performance. Mike set that place on fire. lol

wannabestartinsomthin21

04-12-2007, 09:09 PM

I posted this in the news thread as well:

It's a nice article, but his little comment about Michael's post "Thriller" work is bullsh*t. What about "Bad" and "History"? The songs on those records are more adventorous then anything on "Thirller", less commercial. Oh well. He'll never get the kind of respect he deserves for his other work. I guess I just have to accept that. I like it, that's all that matters to me.

Good point he made though about all the acts today. The entire scene today was shaped by Michael. Unfortunately, I feel it has lowered the standard of what we consider talent. That's not Michael's fault. His own talent is so huge, it forced the rest of the world to follow. But Michael is unique in that his talent in all these area's is world class. Its not being a jack of all trades, its being a master. How rare is that? Today you see so many acts developed who, rather then having total command over one diciplin, they display average talent in many. And its all so they can keep up and mimick what Michael has always done. They don't do what Michael does, they imitate. They are only a hollow shell of what, in essence, Michael Jackson is.

Rasta Pasta

04-12-2007, 09:10 PM

I didn't see this posted on the board; I just posted it in the news thread. This article really takes me back . . . I remember calling my friend the next day asking if she'd watched the special...this is all people were talking about.

Also, I believe Q was also breaking up with his wife when he had the breakdown; it was like a double whammy. Maybe that's why Mike decided not to use him on other albums, he didn't want Q to have a heart attack.

Just LOVE the article; like reading what happened after the performance. Mike set that place on fire. lol

brings back memories for me too... Everybody and there Mama watched that special and couldn't stop talking about it...

As for Q.. I do now remember that his health.. was an issue around that time.... and he got a pacemaker put in .. oh, yes.. the divorce too.....

reading Mr Ivory recount that moment and .. even being there..makes me wish .. I could have witness it too from the audience.. instead of our old TV.. oh, well..

I kind of feel back for young music fans today.. they didn't or won't get an opportunity to see that kind magical moment.. from a performer of their time...

troubleman84

04-12-2007, 09:29 PM

I feel Quincy's anguish. I feel "Thriller" in a sense overshadowed both Quincy's and Michael's careers.

sugababe

04-12-2007, 09:37 PM

I feel Quincy's anguish. I feel "Thriller" in a sense overshadowed both Quincy's and Michael's careers.
Timmy84!!!! I know this has ot be you by your avatar. I've been reading your posts on Prince.org--and I must say, some of your responses really surprise me, but I understand.

wannabestartinsomthin21

04-12-2007, 09:44 PM

Now we know why Quincy's trippin', lol.

The album "Thriller" itself didn't create the phenom. It was the album combined with Michael both as a performing artist and as an enigmatic personality. Michael putting out short musical films like something not before seen, Michael putting on stage performances unparralleled in pure talent and charisma, Michael being a complex and at the same time reclusive character. The album on its own never would have done what it did. It was a combination of all those things which boosted it to those sales and made Michael the most famous human being on the planet.

friend

04-12-2007, 10:47 PM

Claps :) he gets it

troubleman84

05-12-2007, 01:08 AM

Timmy84!!!! I know this has ot be you by your avatar. I've been reading your posts on Prince.org--and I must say, some of your responses really surprise me, but I understand.

Yep, the Marvin Gaye fan. :yes: :lol: And yeah, I can be shocking. ;)

wannabestartinsomthin21

05-12-2007, 01:21 AM

Why Timmy? What'd ya say?! lol.

hopespringseternal

05-12-2007, 01:34 AM

The only part where I would disagree is with his statement that post Thriller work wasn't up to par. It was indeed better. Dangerous, IMO, was MJ's best post-Thriller work.

Absolutely about 'Dangerous' it's far exceeds 'BAD' and it is beyond underrated had it not been for the tragic events of 93 i really do think it would be right up there with 'Thriller' in terms of being legendary. Just the depth of his voice i mean how many singers can do r&b, new jack, gospel flavored, rock and pop all on one album? not many and that's what make Dangerous one of my all time fav albums. Just the way he combined so many genre's on one set.

mello1

05-12-2007, 01:43 AM

Absolutely about 'Dangerous' it's far exceeds 'BAD' and it is beyond underrated had it not been for the tragic events of 93 i really do think it would be right up there with 'Thriller' in terms of being legendary. Just the depth of his voice i mean how many singers can do r&b, new jack, gospel flavored, rock and pop all on one album? not many and that's what make Dangerous one of my all time fav albums. Just the way he combined so many genre's on one set.
I had to think for a moment -- what tragic events.....? and then I remembered. I mean, how many CDs open with 5 SLAMMING dance songs, a slamming rock ballad with global appeal world anthem cuts?

HIStory has stand out cuts, SIM, TES, YANA -- you can't count those out because peeps were hating on him about other things....

hopespringseternal

05-12-2007, 01:50 AM

I had to think for a moment -- what tragic events.....? and then I remembered. I mean, how many CDs open with 5 SLAMMING dance songs, a slamming rock ballad with global appeal world anthem cuts?

HIStory has stand out cuts, SIM, TES, YANA -- you can't count those out because peeps were hating on him about other things....

No CD does that now and that's the thing that makes Michael so unique, i was listening to 'Dangerous' tonight and thinking you hear a song like KTF which is about as close to Gospel you gonna get and then he turns around and sings a beautiful song like GTS same singer but just the ability to emote in so many ways and make it work, and it just makes me so angry that this album doesn't get the props it's deserves, i agree about HIStory too, thing is though he is so raw there and either peeps get it or don't with Dangerous there was a song for everybody i often think it's an album before it's time and maybe someday people will see the brilliance of Dangerous after seeing so many of these run of the mill artists now who can't sing with any depth of variety and just throw out schlock of mess masquerading as music.

mistermaxxx

05-12-2007, 05:52 AM

Steven Ivory was/Is a Childhood writing hero of mine. I go back to the Blackbeat magazine days. he been down with MJ and family for over 30 years. He knows his Music big time. thriller was a Album that changed everything period. now I dug bad and dangerous but thriller was that Album and still is IMO that changed the whole game.

Angel

05-12-2007, 04:04 PM

The only part where I would disagree is with his statement that post Thriller work wasn't up to par. It was indeed better.

The album "Thriller" itself didn't create the phenom. It was the album combined with Michael both as a performing artist and as an enigmatic personality. Michael putting out short musical films like something not before seen, Michael putting on stage performances unparralleled in pure talent and charisma, Michael being a complex and at the same time reclusive character. The album on its own never would have done what it did. It was a combination of all those things which boosted it to those sales and made Michael the most famous human being on the planet.

I agree with both of you here and as much as I like Thriller I sometimes get annoyed with ppl saying that he'll never do as good as he did back then. His later albums didn't get the attention they deserved bc of the problems in his private life and I can only hope that it will be different with the new one.

blacknimproud

05-12-2007, 04:44 PM

Yeah the promotion for Thriller was at its best so as for other albums after and before, it didnt have that much notoriety solely because of lack of promotion. Simple.

Born To Love You

05-12-2007, 08:07 PM

mistermaxxx, I knew his name sounded familiar. I enjoyed the article, It was great to hear someone who was there talk about the Motown 25 performance.

Michael Jackson is indeed a genre onto himself.

mello1

05-12-2007, 08:27 PM

Steven Ivory was/Is a Childhood writing hero of mine. I go back to the Blackbeat magazine days. he been down with MJ and family for over 30 years. He knows his Music big time. thriller was a Album that changed everything period. now I dug bad and dangerous but thriller was that Album and still is IMO that changed the whole game.

Blackbeat magazine. Now that's a blast from the past! And there is no question that Thriller changed the game. Ivory said that Thriller was MJ's artistic peak and I respectfully disagree with him on that one point and I emailed him and told him so (after lavish praise on the piece, of course!).

~Lindsey~

05-12-2007, 08:52 PM

E-mailed the writer, i always thought that after Michael's performance they just moved onto the next one-which i thought was abit strange because how could you just move on that quickly after a performance like that when you have never seen Michael Jackson perform solo, never seen him perform that amazing song and have never seen him moonwalk. That article made me feel like i was in the room watching that performance-if only I had been.

mistermaxxx

06-12-2007, 01:02 AM

Blackbeat magazine. Now that's a blast from the past! And there is no question that Thriller changed the game. Ivory said that Thriller was MJ's artistic peak and I respectfully disagree with him on that one point and I emailed him and told him so (after lavish praise on the piece, of course!).oh i go back and Steven ivory did Lee Bailey's radio show back in the day. Thriller was that album. look I dig parts of bad and Dangerous even more,but thriller went and did the damn thing.argualy the Greatest Album ever.

troubleman84

06-12-2007, 01:52 AM

oh i go back and Steven ivory did Lee Bailey's radio show back in the day. Thriller was that album. look I dig parts of bad and Dangerous even more,but thriller went and did the damn thing.argualy the Greatest Album ever.

:yes: Exactly my point, lol.

whitesocksdancer

06-12-2007, 12:48 PM

Isn't Steve Ivory the one that is engaged to Ellen Pomp... of Grey's Anatomy?

TSCM

06-12-2007, 08:37 PM

E-mail response from Steven Ivory:

Thank you very much for reading and then taking the time to respond. I too, look forward to MJ's next chapter.

Best,
Steven Ivory

It really was a great article.

mistermaxxx

07-12-2007, 12:41 AM

Isn't Steve Ivory the one that is engaged to Ellen Pomp... of Grey's Anatomy?no that is a different Ivory. they might be related though.